


The Bones

by EmilyBea



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 10:02:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19082776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmilyBea/pseuds/EmilyBea
Summary: Future-set CS one shot where Emma and Killian have been living their beautiful happily ever after for a few years. Yet despite the fact that everything is great, Emma is feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Queue CS cuteness and a healthy dose of fluff. Part of my larger CS Mixtape collection (though this is a stand alone story).





	The Bones

**_A/N: This is a future CS oneshot based off of Maren Morris’ song ‘The Bones,’ where Emma is feeling worn down and worn out with all of her responsibilities as both the sheriff and as a Mom. The Black Fairy’s curse has been lifted for a long time, but between the kids and the town there’s a ton to do. This drabble is a little snapshot into Emma and Killian’s continuing love, and because I have taken a step back from my mixtape so long, I’ve made it extra cutesy. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!_ **

Happily ever after…

It was the most incredible dream that anyone could want or strive for. To some more cynical people it may be an overly cliché phrase, one tied up in cheesy romance movies or boring formulaic stories, but the end result of a happily ever after wasn’t the same for everybody. Each one was unique and entirely its own, but at the end of the day, reaching that level of contentment was the universal goal. Who didn’t want to be happy? Who didn’t want to have a life that was worth living and that was filled with joy? No one, that’s who.

But even if Emma had achieved that fairytale state, and even though she’d defeated every villain that stood in her way and had built a truly wonderful life for herself and her family, the reality was that happily ever after wasn’t just this easy, constant thing. It was still something that she worked hard for each and every day. Throughout the years life never really seemed to slow down, and though the Black Fairy’s curse had been overcome what felt like forever ago, Emma always had new tasks to conquer and mountains to climb. With three young kids at home, an adventurous eldest son, two still overly involved parents, and an over-the-top town of nosey neighbors, Emma’s life was constantly moving a hundred miles an hour. Rest and reprieve were few and far between, and some days it felt like she might just cave under the pressure, but she never did and the reason for that was simple. Despite the fact that Emma had so much on her plate, she also had the best partner in all of this, Killian, and there was never a day that went by when Emma didn’t feel just how lucky she was and where she didn’t fall just a little bit more in love with her husband.

Killian’s presence was a constant safe harbor in Emma’s world, and where she was prone to worry and unease, he always seemed to weather every storm without flinching. His faith had never been shaken in all their years together, and though at first he was unsure when new challenges came their way, Killian was always ready to learn and lend a helping hand. In town he was her right hand man, aiding her whenever she needed it and becoming a central anchor for all of Storybrooke, and in their home he was her other half. The kids adored him, but it wasn’t because he was more lax or unassuming as a parent. No, Killian always made sure to compliment Emma. They were a team together, both good cops and bad cops, and no matter what the situation, they were always guided by love. Emma knew her younger children, Hope, Leia, and Liam, could sense that, and she knew Henry, though he may be farther from home, had grown to love Killian too and to see him as a friend and more fatherly figure. For that, and for everything else, Emma was truly grateful. Still some days – days like today – when things were already stressful at the precinct, and when she was dreading the impending scramble to get the kids to everything this afternoon, Emma still felt like it might be nice to have a bit more peace in this perfect little life they led.

“I really wish I had more of this report done,” Emma mused aloud, filling the space between her and her father with a tone of frustration. “I’ve been working on it for days. I feel like it’ll never be finished.”

“Emma, I know you want to get past it, but it’s not due for another month. And even then I think the town will be fine if it’s delayed. It’s time consuming yes, but for an annual report it’s pretty standard. We broke up some dwarf fights, found some wayward animals, and pulled a few of our more reckless neighbors over for speeding. It was hardly a year of crime and punishment.”

Emma chuckled at her Dad’s assessment of their jobs in Storybrooke, and she knew he wasn’t wrong. The things they were tackling these days were almost always small fry, but while there might not be any career criminals lurking around town, this was still a place where everyone seemed capable of getting into at least a little bit of mischief. There was always enough to keep her and her father busy, and when it came time to list out everything and reflect on a full year’s worth of work Emma couldn’t help but feel daunted by the task.

“Do you ever wish you could press the pause button?” Emma asked, sitting back in her chair and avoiding the paperwork that was numbing her brain and draining all of her precious energy.

“Never,” her Dad said, surprising Emma, and then she thought about it and she realized why her Dad might be averse to such thinking. He and the rest of this town had been stuck on pause for more than twenty years once upon a time, so no, he probably wasn’t very eager to subject himself to any more lost time ever again.

“I don’t mean long term. I understand the value of taking in every moment – truly I do. But still, sometimes I think of what a day away would mean. No work, no responsibilities. Just… peace and quiet.”

“And this peace and quiet, is it the solitary kind, or do you get to bring guests?”

Emma laughed, knowing that her Dad wasn’t a big fan of being alone. He loved being surrounded by people, and she was hard pressed to think of a time when either of her parents ever had time apart aside from during the workday. But now that he said it, Emma realized her own fantasy of relaxation wouldn’t involve being totally alone. No, if anything what she really craved was time alone with her husband, and though she’d miss the kids, she secretly wished for a chance to have that when her and Killian’s stolen moments had become all too rare.

“On second thought, don’t tell me. You’ve got that look that tells me you’re thinking of a certain ex-pirate and I don’t need to know.”

Emma laughed again at her Dad’s antics, but just as she was about to respond her radio sounded.

_“Sheriff station this is dispatch. We’ve got a call of a disabled vehicle at the town line. Requesting response – over.”_

“You got this?” Emma asked, her eyes casting down towards her paper work again, a sigh slipping free as she thought of how much she didn’t want to do this.

“Actually would you mind? I…” her Dad trailed off as he looked at his phone. After a few seconds of trying and failing to come up with an excuse he looked back up to Emma and immediately she could tell he was trying to hide something. That was interesting, and also very unlike him. She felt her brow lift slightly in question, but stayed quiet so as to force him to finish his thought. “I just think it’d be better if you went.” 

“Okay,” Emma replied, slowing down the word to show that she was on to him. “I guess I’ve got it.”

Immediately her Dad looked relieved, and Emma’s curiosity only grew. She replied to dispatch saying she was on her way, and with a final goodbye to her Dad, she set off, knowing that when she got back she was absolutely going to investigate what the hell was going on with him. She moved automatically to where the emergency services operator had said the broken down car was, but when she got there she was shocked at who was waiting for her. 

“Killian? Mom? Is everything all right? What’s wrong? Are you guys hurt?”

Emma asked the series of questions as she hopped out of the squad car she’d been driving, and for a moment she was truly concerned. Why would dispatch have been alerted if this wasn’t an emergency? Emma looked at two of the people who meant the most to her in the world, and she was seriously perplexed. They seemed, at first glance, to be totally fine, thank God, but after a moment she was even more confused by the look of pure happiness on her Mom’s face and the slight bashfulness coming from her husband.

“Oh Emma, you’re here. We’re fine, honey. Totally okay.”

“The kids?” Emma asked, looking to Killian who assured her as much with the sincere depth of his blue gaze as with his words.

“Safe and sound. Hope and Leia are at school and Liam is at day care. Last I saw he was teetering towards the clay dough.”

“Play dough,” Emma and her mother said at the same time and Emma couldn’t help but smile, both at the fact that her son was getting to play with his favorite toy of the moment and that her husband was completely incapable of remembering it’s name.

“Right. Either way, the little ones are all set.”

“And you guys are evidently okay,” Emma said, sneaking a glance at the mini-van (yes, mini-van) that Killian had adamantly demanded that they buy once he really figured out how to drive a car. “Same with the car. Which begs the question: why the call?”

“Because-,” Killian was evidently planning to say something, but her Mom beat him to the punch as she threw out the words in a hyper-fast jumble. 

“Because your husband has planned a romantic weekend just for you two! Isn’t that the sweetest?”

 Emma blinked, trying to understand what her mother had said for a moment. She honestly couldn’t believe it. Could this be true? Could they really be taking a trip just the two of them, and so precisely when she’d been craving exactly that. All it took was one more look at Killian to know her mother was telling the truth, and though she could tell that he was a bit miffed at not getting the chance to tell her himself, Emma could also see that he was glad for her Mother’s easy acceptance and affection for the two of them. 

“A trip? But I’m working. I’m on until five, and then on call this weekend,” Emma said, her voice giving away her disappointment at the realization that this beautiful gesture might not come true.

“Nonsense,” her mother said, pulling Emma’s bag from the sheriff’s car and then tossing it into the minivan. “Storybrooke is more than capable of surviving one weekend without the savior. Heck, we haven’t needed one in ages. Your father and I will run point here. We’re on grandkid duty _and_ town duty, so all you two have to think about is… well, whatever you want!”

The cheery tone of Snow’s words hardly matched the sneaky move she made to swipe the cruiser keys from Emma, and Emma cried out a bit at the show of petty theft. But it was hard to stay angry when it finally began to sink in that she was getting exactly what she wanted, and that it was all the work of her perfectly thoughtful husband.

“You’re sure it isn’t too much, Mom?” Emma asked, though her heart would be practically crushed if her Mom changed her mind now.

“Of course not. We’ve had this planned for weeks, and Killian’s taken care of everything,” Snow said as she gave Emma a quick hug before heading to the cruiser. “You two have fun, and don’t even think about coming home early. We got this.” 

Emma watched as her Mom drove off then, making a 180 before driving into town. She found herself shaking her head as she watched the taillights of the cruiser drive away, but all thoughts of the car were gone when Killian approached, wrapping his arms around her. She immediately relaxed, leaning into him and savoring his warmth and the faint smell of leather and rum that still hung around him all these years even though he had largely changed his old sea captain ways.

“Tell me, love, are you very angry at my temporary deception?" 

“No,” Emma said, truly meaning it. “But why the big show?” Before he could even respond, Emma filled in the likely reason. “Let me guess, my mother.” 

“Aye, Swan. Though to be fair I did try to keep you home this morning,” he replied, his words a low rumble that washed across her skin, making her shiver and immediately sparking that all too familiar need and want low in her belly. 

“You try to keep me home every morning,” Emma responded, her smile unstoppable when Killian’s eyes lit up with heat.

“And yet you resist me, even though I do _everything_ in my power to persuade you.” 

Emma swallowed harshly, her mind ablaze with exactly the kind of dirty and delicious things her husband tried each morning before the kids were awake or their day ever began. Her thoughts raced, covering everything from the feel of his hands on her body to the sinful mastery of his mouth. All these years later and Emma was still just as wrapped up in Killian, and honestly she deserved a damn medal for being anything even close to productive when he was around distracting her. 

“What did you have to do to get my parents so firmly on board?” she asked, trying to tamp down the gravel in her voice that came every time she let her lust get the best of her.

“Oh that was easy,” Killian said as he ran his hook lightly across her hip, finding a piece of bared skin where her shirt had unknowingly risen up. The cool metal on her skin sent bursts of sensation coursing through her, and Emma was like a moth to a flame, almost missing the giant statement he made next. “I just promised them another grandchild.”

“You what?!” Emma yelled, and the reaction prompted a genuine laugh from Killian that shook not only through him, but her as well.

“Only teasing, Swan,” Killian said, and though Emma shoved at his chest, it was playful and more an attempt to hide that little bit of want in her that thought another baby might be perfect despite all the craziness that already filled their lives. “It wasn’t difficult to get them to help me out. They could see as well as I that you’ve taken on too much. You deserve a break, Emma, and that’s exactly what we’ll have this weekend.”

His determination that she needed to relax made Emma’s heart melt. It was so sweet and impossibly sexy that he always prioritized her like this. There was never any room for doubt about Killian’s drives or motivations. She and the kids meant everything to him, and it was for that reason that Emma knew they’d always have a love for each other that was strong and pure and right. The bones of their lives together – their foundations of love – were strong and resilient. There was no breaking down what they had built, and no matter what storms came or what new trouble would emerge, they always had each other and the love that they shared. Just the thought of how miraculous that was brought happy tears to Emma’s eyes, but she fought them off as she asked him a critical question.

“How did you know?” Emma whispered, her eyes taking in his knowing look and the growing grin that appeared at her admitting that she needed this time away.

“Because I love you with everything I am,” Killian professed easily. “Because my heart beats in time with yours, and because what you want, I want too. I love our life and our family, but it’s been too long since I had my Swan to myself, and I damn well intend to make the most of it.”

“Oh yeah?” Emma asked, angling up so her lips were a breath away from his. “So what are you waiting for, Captain? Take me.”

His lips crashed down to hers as his arms locked tighter around her, pulling her close. Emma arched into him, her thoughts all dancing away as she was consumed by the kiss. It was real and raw and demanding, so much so that Emma forgot herself and where they were. She was moments away from pushing for more, but as per usual, Killian remained the one with a more level head. He pulled back, his eyes filled with passion, but he restrained himself far more than she could, his thumb running across her lips as his hand held her cheek.

“My days of stealing and pillaging are long gone, my love. You know that as well as I do.”

“I do,” Emma replied. “So it’s a good thing I’m yours, totally and completely.” 

That was all she needed to say to get her husband moving. One moment her feet were firmly on the ground, the next he’d swept her up and was buckling her into the car as if she were incapable of doing it herself. Emma giggled at the very notion of her being unfit to fasten a seatbelt, but as her laughter quieted, she couldn’t help but reach out to Killian’s jacket, pulling him closer again for another kiss.

“I love you, Killian. Forever and always,” she whispered when they broke apart again. “Now let’s go get to that peace and quiet, okay?”

With one last kiss, and a promise that while they’d find peace they might not find much quiet, Killian got in the driver’s seat and they set forth towards a weekend filled with exactly what they wanted. And the best part of it all was that when they were back, things remained just as wonderful and magical as they had always been. For that’s the way things were when you found a happily ever after, and Emma for one couldn’t be happier about it.

……………… 

_We're in the homestretch of the hard times_

_We took a hard left, but we're alright_

_Yeah, life sure can try to put love through it, but_

_We built this right, so nothing's ever gonna move it_

_When the bones are good, the rest don't matter_

_Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter_

_Let it rain 'cause you and I remain the same_

_When there ain't a crack in the foundation_

_Baby, I know any storm we're facing_

_Will blow right over while we stay put_

_The house don't fall when the bones are good_

_Call it dumb luck, but baby, you and I_

_Can't even mess it up, although we both try_

_No, it don't always go the way we planned it_

_But the wolves came and went and we're still standing_

_When the bones are good, the rest don't matter_

_Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter_

_Let it rain 'cause you and I remain the same_

_When there ain't a crack in the foundation_

_Baby, I know any storm we're facing_

_Will blow right over while we stay put_

_The house don't fall when my bones are good_

_When the bones are good_

_Bones are good, the rest, the rest don't matter (Baby, it don't really matter)_

_Paint could peel, the glass could shatter (Oh, the glass, oh, the glass could shatter)_

_Bones are good, the rest, the rest don't matter (Ooh)_

_Paint could peel, the glass, the glass could shatter (Yeah)_

_When the bones are good, the rest don't matter_

_Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter_

_Let it rain (Let it rain, let it rain)_

_'Cause you and I remain the same (Woo)_

_When there ain't a crack in the foundation (Woo)_

_Baby, I know any storm we're facing_

_Will blow right over while we stay put_

_The house don't fall when the bones are good_

_Yeah, ooh_

**_Post-Note: Hi all! So it has been such an incredibly long time since I posted a mixtape and I knew it would take a really special song to get my muse to cooperate again. This is that song, and if you haven’t checked it out you absolutely should. It’s lovely and it reminds me so much of CS. I’ve also been missing the show a lot lately, and I find myself wishing we had more moments like this all the time. But in the absence of cannon, I’ll step in and write fluff. Stay tuned for more mixtape coming later this summer, and thanks so much to all of you for reading! Hope you have a great rest of your week!_ **


End file.
